How your body changes in your first trimester

Pregnancy is the time in your life when you are likely to experience the most changes to your body, so it’s important to know what to expect.

The first trimester is the period from the first week of your pregnancy up until the end of the 13th week. This is the time during which your baby will start to develop a body structure and their organs will develop. For this reason, it’s often a period of drastic change for you. 

Read on to find out more about the changes your body will undergo during the first trimester of your pregnancy. 

 

1. Swollen breasts

 

One of the first things you are likely to notice after conceiving is that your breasts become swollen or tender. This is due to the changes in hormones in your body. A sensitive or sore feeling is likely and this tends to continue for a few weeks at least as your body starts to acclimatise to this change in hormones. Over time, the discomfort should ease. 

 

2. Nausea

 

Morning sickness is another of the most common pregnancy symptoms. This involves any nausea you feel or vomiting that you experience in the first trimester (https://familydoctor.org/changes-in-your-body-during-pregnancy-first-trimester/). Despite its name, it can happen at any time of the day or night and can be triggered by things like foods or scents. 

People tend to find that morning sickness goes away after the first trimester, but if you are having a hard time with morning sickness, there are some vitamins and supplements that can relieve the symptoms. For example, you might want to try vitamin B6 to help with the feeling of nausea. Some find that they feel sicker on an empty stomach, so you could also try paying more attention to your diet and when you eat. Try to avoid eating fast and spread your meals out so you’re snacking on smaller portion sizes every other hour. Make sure to stay hydrated too. 

 

3. Increased urination

 

During the first trimester, it’s normal to urinate more frequently than before. This is because during pregnancy, there is more blood in your body and this makes your kidneys process more fluid that finds its way to your bladder. As well as this, you may find that, as your uterus grows, it begins to push on your bladder, which can also cause you to urinate more often than usual.

 

4. Cravings

 

During your pregnancy, you are likely to find yourself becoming more sensitive to things that you ordinarily wouldn’t take any notice of. Some smells and tastes can start to cause a negative reaction and make you feel ill or repulsed. On the other hand, you may have cravings for certain foods, including ones that you would not usually eat or enjoy. This is normal during pregnancy and is also caused by changes in hormones. 

 

5. Fatigue

 

In the earlier stages of pregnancy especially, you will have much higher levels of progesterone. This is a hormone that can make you sleepy and, as a result, you may feel tired a lot of the time. Try to sleep and rest as much as you can. Some things you can try in order to keep yourself active and avoid fatigue are maintaining a healthy diet and trying to participate in some form of exercise. 

 

6. Heartburn

 

During pregnancy, the muscles that are used to break down your food start to relax more than usual. As well as this, hormone changes can reduce the speed at which your body can process food. As a result, it stays in your stomach for a longer period of time and leads to your body absorbing more nutrients. All of these changes mean that you may experience heartburn, or have it worse than you usually do. 

 

7. Constipation

 

Since you have much more progesterone during the earlier stages of pregnancy, your food will take longer to be processed by your digestive system. As a result, you may experience some constipation. Some things you can try to relieve this are taking iron supplements or incorporating added fibre into your meals. As well as this, you will benefit from staying hydrated with water or fruit juice. Keep exercising too.

 

8. Skin changes

 

During pregnancy, many are said to have a ‘pregnancy glow’. This term is used to describe the brighter, shinier look that many women have during pregnancy. This is due to extra blood circulation and an increase in hormones, which lead to more oil on your skin. If this happens to you, you may experience flair-ups of acne too. 

Similarly, the extra blood can make your veins appear more prominent in areas like your stomach, breasts, legs, neck or arms. All of these changes are natural and are due to your heart working harder to pump blood around your body in order to sustain your pregnancy. 

Capture those special moments

 

While some of the physical changes you face can be a struggle, it will all be worth it once you have your baby in your arms. Once your new one has joined your family, it is important to cherish these special moments as they start to grow up quickly. 

If you would like our help capturing these precious times, make sure to call us or get in touch through our contact page (https://www.hannahcornfordphotography.com/contact/) so that you don’t ever forget those wonderful first moments. Create photo albums and scrapbooks or simply store your photos online so that you can continue admiring your newborn long into the future, even when they are all grown up!